No matter what 2026 brings, there remains one truism in our nation’s capital: If you’re loud enough, lawmakers will listen.
Last year on Capitol Hill, family-owned businesses notched many wins, including an increase in the gift, estate and generation-skipping tax exemption (up from $14 million to $15 million), the retention of the 37% top income tax rate, and the extension of the 199A deduction for pass-through entities. Achieving these types of victories is never easy. What helped was that family-owned businesses made their priorities clear to our lawmakers, and they heard us when they passed H.R. 1 last July.
But there’s another truism on Capitol Hill: Nothing is ever permanent.
Keep the Pressure On
Advocacy is the only pressure our lawmakers understand when it comes to what hurts and helps family businesses, or any enterprise. It’s our job as citizens to elevate our voices to Congress. If legislators are unaware of an issue, their short attention spans will always default to the loudest voice in the halls. We want the voices of family-owned businesses to rise above the rest.
Advocating for your business and family is not complicated, but it does take some work, and there are guidelines to follow for your issues to register. The ability of family businesses to actively shape policy in Washington, D.C. should not be underestimated. The secret is to “just do it.”
Affecting policy change can be as simple as making a telephone call to one of your representatives or emailing or setting up a meeting. Many family-owned business leaders, and citizens, don’t know where to start. There are a few quick ways to make sure your voice is heard this year.
The first step is to know your representatives, which you can do through this website: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member.
Visiting Public Officials
When visiting a public official, or your representative, do your homework. This means knowing what their key legislative priorities are and knowing how that applies to what’s important to you. Arrive early (five minutes at a minimum) and bring business cards so staff members can put your name into their mailing systems.
It’s also important to pick one spokesperson, if you’re in a group, and keep everything simple, upbeat, and brief. You need to make your key points in two minutes or less.
Also, be sure to make a specific request for support — ask for something concrete, like a vote for or against your specific issue. Next, back up your request with a fact sheet on your basic messages. Leave this fact sheet behind, with details on how they can reach you. Don’t forget to write a “Thank You” note, with even more follow-up information.
Be Brief, Be Bright, Be Gone!
When advocating to lawmakers, there is an industry term we call the “Three B’s Rule”: Be brief, be bright, be gone!
Legislators and their staff are interested in your views, but they’re swamped, like all of us. Legislators may suddenly be interrupted, so you must be brief and to the point. Start with any personal connection you or your family business may have with the lawmaker in his or her district. Ask the legislator and the staff if they know your family business, how big you are and how many people you employ in their district. Tell them of the many charitable things you do in their district. All of this will catch their attention.
And don’t be afraid to ask: “Will you support this bill?” They may, or may not, agree, but they will listen, and this is a start. Lawmaking is a slow-moving grind, but a chorus that’s loud enough for long enough can sway votes on an issue.
Offer your assistance as a local, community resource, and then schedule a follow-up meeting in the district. Finally, say “thank you for your time,” and leave. You may get 10 minutes, tops. So, again, make your point(s) fast.
Mail Works
It may be old-fashioned, but legislators do read their mail. Since 9/11, email has proven faster and more efficient. Representatives, and their staff, check emails daily. Prior to a meeting, an email “letter” will help tell your story about the issues and will identify you as a constituent and important family business within their district. In the email, identify any bill number or issue in the first paragraph and state the action you want. Say everything you need to in one page and be as polite and persuasive as possible.
Of course, you can reach representatives in a public hearing or forum, too. Arrive early to receive handouts and reports and sign-in so your presence is recorded. It’s important to sit in front where you can be seen and bring handouts or position papers for distribution. When it comes to questions, identify yourself as family business owner in the district, mention the number of employees, know your issue and be precise and brief.
Advocacy is the only way we can keep winning for family-owned businesses. Make 2026 the year your voice is heard.